“All the Saints pass their lives in afflictions and manifold sufferings in spite of the fact that sin did not have any power over them to afflict them. Nevertheless, many times their life was a true martyrdom. Now what justification will we give – we who have fallen into an occupied ourselves with many sins – to claim the right to pass our lives without afflictions and sufferings? Most certainly we are accountable for sin and consequently we need the flip of salvific discipline of the Lord that we may have the fortune of being saved into the kingdom of heaven by grace of the mercies of our God Who loves mankind.”
Elder Ephraim of Arizona
~Counsels from the Holy Mountain

“Once when he was flooded by great sorrow because of all these things as he was praying with tears and pain in darkness of his cell he came to theoria and everything around him shown with supernatural light. Did he saw the living Lord nailed to the Cross and base income created light from His blameless hands and feet blood streamed profusely. Then Christ tilted His head toward Geronda and said to him: “Behold how much I suffered out of love for you. What have you suffered? Can you not endure a single affliction?” And that it was dark again. With those words Geronda’s sorrow was dispelled and he was filled with joy and peace. He said rivers of tears experiencing the love of God and amazed at the Lord’s immense condescension. From then on he had great consolation in his sorrows, torments and trials. He grew strong in spirit and in this manner was patient with those people until they decided to leave of their own accord.”
Elder Ephraim of Arizona
~My Elder Joseph

“In our day, you usually hear these words from parents: “We want to secure the life of our child.” That is why they work very hard to amass wealth— often unjustly— to educate their child in the calling that brings the greatest physical security and material benefit. And this is done by so -called Christians! They do this because their concept of real life and the real security of life is erroneous. Here is how a true Christian mother prepares her son for real life: At the time of her death, Blessed Euphrosyne spoke to her son, Clement of Ancyra: “Do me the honor, O my son, and bravely stand up for Christ and confess Him firmly and without hesitation! In my heart I hope that the crown of martyrdom will soon blossom on you, in my honor and for the salvation of many. Do not be afraid of threats, or swords , or pains, or wounds, or fire. Let nothing separate you from Christ, but look up to heaven— and from there you can expect your great, eternal and rich reward from God. Fear God’s majesty; be afraid of His awesome judgment ; tremble at His all -seeing Eye; for all those who deny Him will receive the punishment of unquenchable fire and the eternally vigilant worm…”
Saint Nikolai Velimirovich
~The Prologue

“If you live in the embrace of divine grace, evil will not harm you. If you do not live with divinity evil will encircle you and you will be overtaken by indolence and you will be afflicted. If you see someone who is indolent then the person is sick in the soul. Often we see a client, discrete and circumspect person we say “a very fine and saintly person.” And yet he may be indolent. The indolent, sluggard and lazy are not acceptable in the eyes of God. Laziness is a very bad thing. Indolence is an illness; it is a sin. God does not want us to be indolent.”
Elder Porphyrios
~Wounded by Love

“Many times the struggler no matter how much forcefulness uses is unable to get the upper hand in the battle against the principalities and powers of darkness. However when he runs with humility to confess to the Elder in detail that he weakens all the might of the ancient evil one. A struggler confessed to me that he heard the devil proposed to him, “Not confession, not to the Elder.” At the same time the devil created a situation of embarrassment. He would say, “You will go and sad in the Elder again with your negligence and bad thoughts.” And the brother firmly and persistently said, “Yes you cunning one. I will go and I will say everything so that I can start again.” Then the brother clearly heard the ancient evil one yell as he was leaving.…”
Abbot Haralambos
~Abbot Haralambos Dionysiatis

“He scourges us with afflictions and trials so that He can draw us near Him; for He knows that through the sorrowful things of this present life man remains near Him and is saved. The comfortable life is very hazardous for eternal salvation. It is not the Spirit of God that dwells in those living in comfort but rather the spirit of the devil according to the saying of the Fathers. For this reason in this life sorrows we need to have patience and Thanksgiving for God is well pleased with both of these virtues. May the Lord give us much patience in our life sorrows so that in everything we may thank the Giver of good things Who provides for us.”
Elder Ephraim of Arizona
~Counsels from the Holy Mountain

“Many people have come to me and with prayer and fasting they were healed. But now the Lord doesn’t hear me so that I learn about medicines and doctors and be lenient with others. I also read the letters of St.Nectarios and I saw how much he, such a great saint, paid attention to the doctors and medicines! I am just a poor ascetic who has grown old in the wilderness and I wanted to heal only through faith. But now I, too, and learning that both medicines and grace are necessary.”
Elder Ephraim of Arizona
~My Elder Joseph

“Nothing more real came into this earthly world than the Lord Jesus Christ— nothing more real as God, and nothing more real as man. In truth, besides Jesus Christ, this whole world is like a mirage. Neither earth, nor water, nor air, nor light even comes close to His reality. Behold, all of this will pass, but He will remain. Indeed, He is the cornerstone of the eternal, intransitory world; and only He, and those who cling to Him, will have a part in that eternal, intransitory reality. The stormy but helpless waves of time have furiously assaulted, and continue assaulting, the reality of Christ’s divinity and even His humanity.”
Saint Nikolai Velimirovich
~The Prologue)

“… When you are tired of standing it is good that instead of sitting down comfortably you alternate the prayer so that it is sometimes said standing, sometimes kneeling and sometimes even sitting. When we don’t have the strength God provides for us whether we stand or kneel or set; even when we lie in bed we can pray. However if you have the physical ability the devil doesn’t joke around and he immediately brings on negligence,muddling of the mind and sleep. Many strugglers even get used to saying the prayer while walking in order to fight all the negligence and sleep.”
Abbot Haralambos
~Abbot Haralambos Dionysiatis

“I don’t think about death. Whatever the Lord desires. I want to think about Christ. And you too open your arms and throw yourselves into Christ’s embrace. Then He lives within you. And you constantly think that you don’t love CM very much and you want even more to come close to CM and be with Him. Show disdain for passions and don’t concern yourself with the devil. Turn to Christ. For all this to happen it is necessary for grace to come: the divine grace which ever makes good what is weak and supplies what is lacking.”
Elder Porphyrios
~Wounded by Love